Rand Paul to leverage Pakistan aid to gain doc release

Sen. Rand Paul will introduce legislation to eliminate all aid to Pakistan until the nation releases a doctor who assisted the United States in the assassination of Osama bin Laden.

Shakil Afridi, 48, reportedly worked with the CIA run a fake hepatitis B vaccine program in Abbottabad as a smoke screen to obtain DNA from children living in bin Laden’s compound and prove the Al Qaeda leader lived in the city. Last week, a Pakistani court sentenced Afridi to 33 years in prison for treason.

In a statement Tuesday, the Kentucky Republican said he would introduce two pieces of legislation when the Senate returns next week. The first would cut off all aid to Pakistan until Afridi is freed and allowed to leave the country, and the second would grant him American citizenship. Afridi’s wife is already an American citizen.

“Pakistan must understand that they are choosing the wrong side,” Paul said in a statement. “They accuse Dr. Afridi of working against Pakistan, but he was simply helping the U.S. capture the head of al Qaida. Surely Pakistan is not linking their interests with those of an international terrorist organization.”

Paul, the scion of America’s first family of libertarianism, went on to condemn all foreign aid: “Foreign aid has been an abysmal failure precisely for this reason – we give the aid to governments who then turn and work against our national interest. That must end.”

Last week, the Senate Armed Services committee voted to withhold aid to the country until Afridi was freed and other conditions were met. The provisions are attached to a defense policy bill. The Senate Appropriations Committee, meanwhile, voted to decrease aid to Pakistan by $33 million.